Rachna Shah

Introduction

Rachna Shah, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.

Professor Shah’s research focuses on two questions: (1) How do firms achieve superior performance? and (2) Why do firms experience failures? She is globally recognized for her research in lean production, defining its basic tenets and demonstrating its impact on firm performance.

Shah’s research on failures identifyies effectiveness of inspections and other drivers of quality in automotive, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries, and in health care delivery in hospitals and nursing homes. Her research on product recalls is used by the FDA and Fortune 500 companies to redesign the production and recall processes.